SOCIETY

Observer, Volume 6, Issue 150, 28 July 1883, Page 4

SOCIETY

— «. ■ ■ ' • . The Masonic ball a;fc. Waituna was very successful. Among the prettiest costumes worn on the acoasiqn were tboße of Mesdanies Snelland Jone?, and Miss Wilks. • Nobth Shore Stkeet Dresses : — Mrs Gibbons, navy-blue velvet, trimmed with navy-blue satin, blue velvet bonnet to match ; Mrs Q-. Randall, brown velvet, trimmed with 3atin of the same shade, black hat, with white feathers, black velvet jacket. Ouida's new novel " Wauda " is comically improper. It contains many distinct attempts at naughtiness, but the naughtiness is innocently 3illy. After this there will of course, be a tremendous demand for the book at the Auckland booksellers' shops. The Ponsonby "At Home " took place on Friday last. Some of tha dresses were very tasteful, imong which we noticed the following : — Mrs Ootter, a very rich drees of black satin ; Mrs Quick, black velvet and pale blue satin ; Miss Douglas(the belle), white and blue silk dress; Miss Flood,' dross of cream silk, tastefully trimmed with ruby satin ; Miss Home, pale blue dress, and white lace ; Miss Kelly, pink muslin ; Miss Hurly, white sateen. Oscar Wilde's shortened curls have their history. Et was in the Louvre that the idea seized the soul of the poet ; there, before the bust of jS T ero, he resolved upon the great change. To fling himself into a cab and drive to whatever coiffeur in Paris is most susceptible of inspiration was the work of a. few moments. The coideur threw his apron to bbc winds, hastened with Oscar to the Louvre again, and let Nero's hair sink into his mind. That very day the conception was realised by scissors and irons — very careful curling-irons. Unfortunately the languid London air has not spared those crisped locks. Such crowds of people now go to Court that the fact oE having been presented confers no sort of social distinction, though the fact of Sir Julius Vogei having received that honour was cabled the other day. Nor are all who are presented invited bo Court balls. If it were so, the bulls would degenerate into receptions, and dances would have to be given, to which only the select few would be invited, which would cause far more discontent among the pushing outsiders than exists at the present time, while the Lord Chamberlain's staff would have to be trebled, and the wear and tear at the Palace and cost to the Sovereign would be enormous. , Spoken quadrilles are the latest fashionable innonitk>:i iv England. At a ball given by the Buronne cle Cambourg, the mistress of the house pevfunned the part of an inconsolable widow, the Camk'sse •'!« Oezaneourt that of a gay young !r.is.rriod vo;>n»n; two other ladies were respectively a sentimental old maid, and a very naive Young girl. The four men performed the characters of a husband, a young magistrate, a dashiug eiiieer, and a' jihilosopJie des salons. The usual figures of a quadrille were gone through while a lively conversation was being held between bhese different characters. The Saturday evening concerts seem to be a great success, if one may judge from the attendance, the prices suiting all classes. Amongst the ladies present we noted a few pretty dresses : — Mrs Anderson, black silk, bonnet to match ; Miss A.da Tonks, brown cashmere, cream lace jerbert ; Miss Keesing, prune velveteen, silver ornaments ; Misses Errington, stylish blue costumes, natural (lowers ; Miss Lottie Williams, wine-coloured ;lress, Langlry hat ; Miss Mary Anderson, black velvet ; Misses Hooper, black cashmere dresses, very stylish ; Miss Blakie, brown velveteen, Eoniton point-lace collar ; Mrs D. J. Macdonnell, black silk, jet ornaments ; Miss 0. Walnutt, black jashmere, jet trimmings. Some old-fashioned and rather priggish people .n England have been suggesting that invitations ;o informal receptions should, be accompanied by ists of the expected guests We can imagine yhat a nutter there would be in colonial 'circles f such a practice were adopted. Fancy the lorror of Mrs De Tornkyns Shoddington, the lady of the wholesale merchant, on discovering Jiat Mrs De Kofiisky,,. the wife, of the retail jrocer, was among the invited guests ! There .vould be a social earthquake, and a general upleval., This is why some people who give parties nake a virtue ,of necessity, pretend to be un>stentatious t and carefully keep the list of guest* jut of the Observer. They know that if Mrs Umallgoods, who deals with the firm for groceries! aid was left out, knew what Mrs Topsawyer, the wife of the commission agent, was invited, there ivould be a speedy end of Mr Smallgood'e custom. Mr 'and' Mrs Hunt gave a very pleasant party it Ellerslie, which was a complete success. There ivere about twenty-five couples present, among , jvhom we noticed Mrs Webster, Mrs McDonald, Mrs Hiin't, Mrs Kelly, Miss Ferguson, Miss Webster, MissM. Ferguson, Miss Grilniorej Miss Flanagan, Miss Hunt, and Miss Webster. Among >he most noticeable dresses were : — Mrs Webster,, alack sillc dross, velvet cri minings ; Mr<s.\lcDoua]d, nuirone dress, with black ' trimmi ngs •;,' Mrs Hunt,, jiaek lustre, satin trimmings ; Mrs' Kelly, black "ib-dwss, with velvet' trimmings and; silver orna-. nents, The acknowledged belle, Mi£s. .Ferguson, uarone dress, silk trimmings, silver v prriarnents.. rhis young lady is a most graceful daitcer: Mias Webster wore a very pretty dress of wine-coloured russett, with corded silk trimmings'; Miss Gil- j :no^e, wineTc'olourod cashmere dressj .with silk : jammings; Miss M.. Ferguson, marojtie .dress; ilack , silk, trimmings ; ' 'Ji^iss" ;black | xTaVone dress.' _'** ,' -' ."" ?'' *'' 1 ",,-. '.",'■/'■'■'.■: '■'■]'.

/m-bW^notewbrtny^^^ 19th ! inst 2-^-Mrs' Cottirigham,' black yelvetj: bea^d trimming, arid flowerS ';" Mi's Foij jiiiljc 1 oatmeal cloth, satin trimmings, and' flowers ; Miss Wyatt, black merino ; Miss Williams, navy-blue sateen. ; . Mibs Warin, ladies serge, cream lace ; Miss M. Wariri, brown cashmere, lace ' trimming ; Miss* Phillips, pink sateen, cream lace ; Miss Fleming, black merino, silver jewellery ; Miss Came, black' velvet, rose-coloured trimmings ; Miss McKinney, prune cashmere, velvet trimming ; Miss Russell, prune merino, silk trimming; MissS. A. Phillips, black dress, silk trimming ; Miss Walm'sly, black silk ; Mrs Clayton, navy-blue velvet, silver trimming; MUs Southgate, black cashmere, Velvet triniming ; Miss A. Southgate, black watered silk, bead ti'hnming ; Miss M. Southgate, navy-blue satin! cloth, velvet trimming; Miss Thomson, bronze biege, silk trimming ; Miss Niecolls, black grenadine, white lace trimming, and silver jewellery ; Mrs Munro, navy-blue sateen, cream lace trimming. The conversazione held on Thursday, the 19th, was a success in every way. The rooms were thronged in every part, so much so, that it was difficult to distinguish the many elegant costumes. Among the most striking were the following: — Mrs Cowie, black satin, handsomely trimmed, white cap with pearlg ; Mrs Williams (nee Mi6B Severn, from Sydney), looked charming in a stylishly-made black cashmere, about her nock beautiful point lace, pretty small patience hat ; Mrs McCosh Clark presided at one of the tables in n handsome black cashmere ; Mrs Nelson, myrtle-green costume, green princess bonnet, trimmed with jets ; Miss Larkins, wine-coloured cashmere, jerbert collar, light beaver Spanish turban, wine feather ; Miss Carry Thomas, dark prune cashmere, black satin straw Langtry hat, trimmed with tartan ribbon ; Mrs Greenwood (Mount Albert), rich black velvet dress, gold ornaments, stylish Gainsborough hat, handsome black feather ; Miss Mariebell Greenwood, black velvet, trimmed with pretty Grebe fur, light beaver Gainsborough hat to match ; Mrs Wm. Culpan, black satin dress, handsome long velvet jacket, black princess bonnet, with jet trimmings ; Mrs Fairburn, handsome satin dolman, black silk dress, princess bonnet, with jet trimmings ; Mrs Chambers, handsome black silk dress ; Miss Chambers, stylishly made prune cashmere, pretty smuli Gainsborough hat : Mrs Heath, brown silk dress, pretty black mantle, princess bonnet : Mrs Winkes, handsomely dressed in black silk, in mourning costume. The anniversary ball of the Hibernian Catholic Benefifc Society was a complete success. The following are a few of the most noticeable dresses: — Miss Smith, fawn-coloured silk trimmed with dark satin, pruue velvet body (the undoubted belle) ; Mrs John Patterson, black silk, cream lace, silver jewellery ; Miss Branuagan, black patin and blue trimmings ; Miss Lonerigan, marone skirt, biack satin body ; Miss Jennings, black velvet ; Tvii.ss JL'Us. dark green velvet ; Miss Matsou, n.-ivy-biu-, navy trimmings; Mies Kane, black *iik ; velvet body; Mrs M. Higgins, black silk, gsAl v-weljory : M;.s P. Davis, black dress, cream oriuimiugi ; iiiss Heffernan, black velvet body, uierino skirfc ; Mi«s Grant, peacock-blue; Slits ITaslem, blue silk, silver ornaments; Mrs T. Uur^m.--, black merino dress, satin body, gold j ".reliery ; Miss Connolly, cream and ruby velvet, silver jewellery ; Miss Thomas, pale blue trimmed with lace ; Miss O'Hanlon, white, with pale blue ; Mrs W. G. Connolly, wine-coloured silk, velvet body ; Miss Walmsley, navy-blue, silver buttons ; Miss O'Hara, navy-blue, cream top ; Miss Collins, wine coloured cashmere, velvet bodice ; Miss Herts, 6late-coloured dress ; Miss Patterson, wine-coloured cashmere, satin body, gold ornaments ; Miss Connolly, cream, with pale pink trimmings ; Miss A. MoKinnen, black velvet dress, black velvet top ; Miss Phelan, black and silver ; Mrs James Patterson, brown, dress trimmed with cream lace j Mrs McGowan, pink silk, with cream lace top-skirt ; Miss Wilcock, black dress; Miss Williams, black silk, white lace trimmings ; Mrs M. Connolly, black cashmere trimmed with satin ; Mrs Ilearney, black dress, silver ornaments ; Miss Grant, dark blue ; Mrs Eead, claret-coloured cashmere ; Miss Bemon, dark green ; Misa O'Connor, blue dress, Limerick lace bodice ; Miss Kate Lonerigan, marone dress, black body; Mrs Smith, blue dress, blacktop; Miss Willis, black dress; Miss Million, black eilk ; Miss McAnaly, black dress blue trimmings ; Mrs Lonerigan, marone dress> cream top. »